


Snow in the Summer

by kuraragi



Series: PokeDori [1]
Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, champion!hina, gym leader!sayo, hina is just mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-22 06:44:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20869913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuraragi/pseuds/kuraragi
Summary: It was just another normal night for Sayo.





	Snow in the Summer

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. I am still here, but am experiencing writer’s block, so I decided to do what any writer does when they can’t finish a story… Start another one :D
> 
> Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll continue this. Fun fact, I really like Pokemon, and the near arrival of generation eight has sparked my desire to write about Pokemon, so here I am. If this does continue, it probably will just be a bunch of one-shots with the girls and their Pokemon. Will it have a coherent plot? Maybe. But will I even continue this? Who knows. 
> 
> Not proofread. 
> 
> Warning (just in case): There is a single curse. 
> 
> Anyway, happy reading!

In representation of its namesake, the mountains surrounding Snowpoint City were covered in fresh snow that had fallen from the sky mere minutes before Sayo decided to start her day. Sayo always enjoyed the quiet of the faraway city, and if it weren’t quiet enough when the sun was high among the clouds, it certainly was when the night sky had yet to be touched by the yellow and orange rays that would cast the dark shades of blue and purple away for the day. It was still black outside, with nothing but the bright glow of the moon and stars to show her the way, but Sayo found that this was her favorite time of day.

Unlike her sister Hina, Sayo found that people often strayed away from her. Snowpoint City still had its tourists, but rarely were there trainers who would come down to challenge the Snowpoint City Gym. The Hikawas of Sinnoh had made quite a name for themselves, with Hina being the reigning Champion, and herself being the undefeated gym leader of Snowpoint City. Anyone who even wanted a chance at challenging Hina would find another gym to earn their eight badges to qualify, but many knew that if they couldn’t stand a chance against her, then there was no way they’d stand any better of a chance against her twin.

Sayo had actually been asked before why she was content with being gym leader, and though the answer was simple to her, it wasn’t to others. To Sayo, Hina was the obstacle she had never managed to overcome. No matter how hard she tried, Sayo decided that there was no way she’d be able to surpass the talents of Hina and her Pokemon. Now, Sayo believed in her Pokemons’ abilities more than anyone, but there wasn’t any belief in herself to be able to guide them properly. With that in mind, Sayo decided that she would stay in Snowpoint City. It was more remote than most other cities, and was much too cold for most people to live in comfortably, even fellow Sinnohians--though even the summers had snow, so she couldn’t blame them.

With very few families here, Sayo was able to find peace in her life. Rarely was she bothered with interviews because she often turned them away, and even more rarely was she challenged because of her reputation. So little to do left Sayo with many hours to herself, and she used all that time to roam the city and its surroundings, and make sure all was in tip-top shape. There was never any designated role put on her, but the elders in the city soon saw her efforts, and often asked her for her help with their needs. Whether it be a crazed, wild Pokemon, or not enough salt to clear the walkways, Sayo found fulfillment in serving the people of her beloved city.

She was on her daily walks now, a lone time where she was able to be left to her own thoughts, without the worry of another soul. Sure it was difficult, especially during winters when the snow piled up to her knees, but Sayo saw it as a workout, and enjoyed it for what it was. She often lost herself in watching the white fog of her breath rise and disappear into the air, or glance across the sky and identify any constellations she could recognize (it was a skill she picked up from childhood, as Hina was most certainly in love with the stars). Her Torterra was beside her and amused itself by looking at the footprints it was making in the snow with its large legs. She smiled fondly at the memory of it being a Turtwig, and how it used to run around in the snow and marvel at all the prints it left behind. Though the way it enjoyed the act was different now, the display of enjoyment wasn’t any different. Her Absol was also beside her, walking as regally as it always has. Unlike her Torterra, her Absol didn’t necessarily love the snow. But unlike the rest of her Pokemon, her Absol did enjoy the cold. It was also very protective, so whenever Sayo went on her walks, her Absol was right there beside her, its eyes and head turning at any and every distinct movement or sound it could detect, no matter how minute. Sayo sometimes wished she could get it to relax, but she knew she wasn’t really one to talk.

Their time before daybreak was going as normally as it always has, and they were about to make their way back, when Sayo’s Absol turned its head suddenly. Its harsh grunt alerted Sayo that this was something that she actually had to pay attention to, and she squinted her eyes in the near-darkness to try and find anything among the piles of snow. Her Torterra then grunted several feet away and began nosing around in a pile of snow. Sayo rushed over with her Absol right on her heels, and knelt near the spot her Torterra had been looking through. Sayo pushed her hands through the snow, and within seconds, she had come across a soft… something. She pulled her hands out quickly and shook them in the cold air.

“Absol, dig through the snow a bit. Be gentle, though.” it grunted in affirmation before proceeding to move its claws around the spot that Sayo had felt whatever it was. A few strokes into the snow, and Sayo was able to see a brown spot. Sayo then joined in the act, and dug the snow out of the way, only to come across a Pokemon.

“Is that…” Sayo unravelled the Pokemon completely, and gasped at the sight. “Oh shit, it’s an Eevee.” she immediately took the limp Pokemon out of the snow, and held it close to her chest, with her coat wrapped around it as much as she could manage. There was a slow, rhythmic bump against her, just barely noticeable warmth, and a weak, shaky breath, and that was all Sayo needed. She quickly got on top of her Torterra, and the Pokemon began its run back to Snowpoint City.

“Absol,” Sayo called out. “Run ahead and get Nurse Joy out! This Eevee needs immediate help!” it barked before sprinting ahead so quickly, Sayo practically lost its white coat in the white-covered ground. “Alright Torterra, Rock Climb.” metaphysical claws grew on the bottom of the Continent Pokemon’s legs, and with them, Sayo’s Torterra made easy access through the thick snow. They made it back in a fraction of the time it took them to get to their turn-around spot, and Sayo was elated to see Nurse Joy and her Chanseys ready at the front of the Center.

“Oh dear, is that-”

“An Eevee, yes. We found it buried in the snow near the Ice Rock. It must have been there all night, it’s barely breathing.” Sayo relayed quickly.

“We’ll get to work right away.” the woman assured before swiftly taking the small Pokemon and rushing it into the Pokemon Center for treatment. Sayo let out a deep breath at the knowledge that the Eevee was now in the best hands it could be in. She made sure to praise her two companions for helping her out in getting the Eevee to safety, and returned her Torterra when she saw that the sun was beginning to make itself known.

It was the start of a new day, and Sayo had to be ready for anything it had in store for her.

**-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-**

It had been several days since Sayo found that Eevee, and she would have completely forgotten about it if not for the Pokeball that had been discovered near the spot that Eevee had lay. A hiker had brought the Pokeball back, and Nurse Joy confirmed that it was the Eevee’s. The name was unfamiliar to everyone in the city, so the only thought that they could come up with was that it had belonged to someone from a different part of Sinnoh, or a tourist, who had attempted to evolve the Pokemon, and abandoned it when it didn’t meet expectations.

Local police traced the name to a citizen of the Johto region, and since the Sinnohian Police couldn’t do anything about the individual, they passed the information to the Johto branch, with the latter promising some kind of punishment if the citizen returned to Johtonian land without returning for the Pokemon. Though some citizens believed that the individual should be looked into and brought into a station, some, including Sayo, reasoned that a promise of punishment, and the knowledge that the Eevee was safe was all they needed to focus on.

The Eevee became a local love, with the small Pokemon getting all kinds of love from everyone in the city. It was friendly with all, but was attached to Sayo. Nurse Joy said that the Pokemon must have been exposed for only half the night, and its fur managed to keep it warm enough to keep it conscious when Sayo found it--just barely, but still conscious. Since it was still conscious, Nurse Joy reasoned that it still must remember Sayo in some way.

It was a shy little thing, often cowering in the presence of her Absol, though she couldn’t quite blame it; her Absol was intimidating when it wanted to be. As the days turned into weeks though, Sayo noticed less stiffness in her Absol’s posture, as well as how comfortable the Eevee seemed around it. Sayo was glad that they managed to get along, but wondered what would happen to the Eevee in the long run.

The Johtonian Police relayed to them that the trainer had no intention of keeping the Eevee, and was given a hefty fine for Pokemon abandonment due to not releasing the Eevee properly, as well as apparent abuse. Nurse Joy reported several self-healed scars under the unkempt fur, and even stress fractures on all four of its legs. A noticeable result of the abuse was one of the Eevee’s ears being slightly floppy. The cartilage showed some damage, and Nurse Joy hypothesized it was from grabbing, pulling, and possibly even twisting. Sayo found it absolutely unacceptable, and felt a surge of joy when the Eevee was no longer associated with that trainer’s Pokeball.

“Why don’t you keep it, Sayo?” Nurse Joy asked her the day after when the Eevee was released back into the will. It came back the very next day, and was once again right by Sayo’s side. Sure, Sayo had thought about it, but she never thought it’d be a reality.

During one of her walks, Sayo decided to bring the Eevee along with her. It was content with staying on her Torterra’s back, and would move around frequently while admiring the view it had. As they neared the turn around spot, the Ice Rock, the Eevee began showing signs of discomfort. It whimpered and paced uneasily, and Sayo had them top to take a break.

“Hey, you okay?” despite the flop in its ear, Sayo found that the Eevee was strangely fond of firm strokes around the injured area. It relaxed after several minutes, but the wariness in its eyes was still apparent. Sayo remembers helping her Torterra (then Turtwig) get over its dislike for water in the past, and thought that maybe this could work too.

Sayo took the small Pokeon in her arms and walked on her own towards the Ice Rock. The anxiety radiated off of the Eevee in her arms, but it didn’t retaliate in any way. Sayo was flattered by how much it trusted her. Sayo sat before the Ice Rock with the Eevee in her lap, and simply stated at it for a while. It was large in comparison to the other stones in the area, and was made entirely of ice. The ice was unique as well, as Sayo distinctly remembers Hina trying to melt it with her Chimchar when they were younger, before giving up after a week--Sayo also remembers Hina getting yelled at by their grandparents when they found out. I was an impressive rock, and Sayo singled out that this was the only reason the Eevee would have been left in this area.

Sayo looked down at the small Pokemon, and in return, it turned in her lap to face her. It tilted its head, no longer nervous, but clearly confused as to why Sayo was just staring at the Rock, and even got up on its hind legs to be closer to her. Its forelegs leaned against her chest, and the Eevee sniffed and locked just under her chin. Sayo giggled at the sensation before scratching around its scruff.

“I wonder if you even want to evolve here.” Sayo murmured. The Eevee suddenly jumped out of her lap and ran around happily in the snow. The determination in its eyes told Sayo all she needed to know, and she retrieved a Pokeball from her jacket pocket, and held it out to the Eevee.

It blinked at the red and white sphere, sniffing it curiously despite the look of recognition it had. The Eevee knocked it out of her hand and stood above it as it lay in between them. It then looked up to Sayo, and sounded happily with upturned cheeks. It nudged the Pokeball towards Sayo before backing again.

“Alright then,” Sayo picked the Pokeball up, and held it in front of her. The Eevee used a paw to clock the button, before it turned into a flash, and became absorbed into the Pokeball. It shook for a few moments in her hand before stilling, and Sayo just held the Pokeball for a few moments before releasing her newly caught Pokemon. The Eevee came out running, happily leaping through the snow, and making all sorts of happy Pokemon noises. Sayo’s Torterra and Absol soon joined them, and the Eevee continued to run around, elated to be officially with them now.

Over the next several days, Sayo made sure to train the Eevee near the Ice Rock, with the intention that it would evolve. The small Pokemon was very determined in its effort, and Sayo was proud of how hard it was trying. She made sure to give it plenty of rest through, because if the Eevee’s reported stress fractures told her anything, it was that the small Pokemon had been overworked for a long period of time. Whether it be its own stubbornness, its previous trainer’s insistence, or a mix of both, Sayo would never know. But she valued the ideal of treating Pokemon as family, because they essentially were their family, and because of it, she made sure to value her Eevee’s health above all else, regardless of how long this would take.

During training, Sayo noticed that her Eevee would often run up to her and jump around before running back to Sayo’s other Pokemon to continue. It also searched for her often, and Sayo could only blame this on the Eevee's previous trainer Despite the trust that they have established, the Eevee still worried, and Sayo hoped that she would one day be able to extinguish its anxiety.

The day had arrived when Sayo’s Eevee had been training with her Torterra. It was light on its paws as it zipped around her Torterra with Agility and Quick Attack, and when it landed another solid hit, it began to glow. Sayo a noticed a faint glow from the Ice Rock as well, and watched with a smile as the small brown Pokemon reappeared from the glow with a new, sheen coat that sparkled like ice did on a sunny day. Its characteristic floppy ear remained, and Sayo found it to be a charm of the Eevee, now Glaceon, even though its ear became deformed in such a horrific way.

When it emerged, it leapt in excitement and celebrated with her Torterra and Absol. Her Glaceon turned to her and ran into her chest, nearly causing her to stumble over into the snow. Sayo ran a hand over its smooth coat before trailing up to stroke its ear. It purred affectionately and keened towards her hand.

“I’m so proud of you, Glaceon.” her Glaceon then ran back to her Torterra before calling out, and using Icy Wind. The attack shook her Torterra, and it uncharacteristically whined at the Fresh Snow Pokemon. Sayo’s Glaceon just amused itself at learning an ice-type move, and though by now, Sayo would have gathered everyone to leave, she decided that it would be alright to let her Pokemon celebrate their victory for a little while longer.

**Author's Note:**

> The Ice Rock’s location is visualized from the DPP games, and its appearance is visualized through a mix of its appearances in the later games. 
> 
> If the noises the Pokemon make are confusing… Yeah, I know. The Eeveelutions in particular are visually a mix of foxes, cats, and dogs, and since I have no idea what a fox sounds like, I’m using descriptions that I would normally use for a cat or a dog (ie. purr, bark, etc). Absols are based off of gray wolves, so I thought “bark” was sufficient. I don’t like writing onomatopoeias, so you will not (and if so, then rarely) see me writing “Tor!”, or “Ab!”, or even “Vui!” (which I guess would now be “Gla!”). 
> 
> This is of course under the assumption that I do expand on this, which is very tentative… We’ll see. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
